Chapter 223: Rebirth in the Nineties: The Overbearing Flower, Chapter 224: Full Moon Banquet

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"I've said it, don't tell those below. Why won't you listen?" Liu Xuejun sighed, but he didn't blame Township Head Huang too much for failing in his duties, only saying: "From now on, I'm Old Liu, you're Old Huang, you're Xiao Wang... the three of us on this trip are just here to give gift money. You can eat whatever you want, and we leave as soon as we're done..."

"Leader, are we still eating..."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Our Ke County may look beautiful with its mountains and clear waters, but there really aren't many people coming to invest. The south is booming with economic development, while our place is cold and deserted. The county has held so many meetings, and I've made self-criticisms every time... No matter how you put it, we have to beg and bring in investment."

Liu Xuejun sighed as he spoke: "Common folks aren't easy... these days of facing the yellow earth and back to the sky have gone on for hundreds of years. Now the east wind of reform and opening-up is so good. We can't always fall behind others; we need to develop our own industries. Big factories or small workshops, as long as it benefits the common people's income and wealth, it's fine."

The car drove very fast, and soon entered the village.

At the village entrance, Liu Zhanggui was waiting at the village entrance, and when he saw the car coming, he stepped forward to inquire.

Township Head Huang knew Liu Zhanggui, and at a glance he knew that the person in the Zhongshan suit inside was the leader.

But Liu Zhanggui was much more worldly and smooth; he just smiled and nodded, then said in a low voice: "Oh, Old Huang is here..."

Then he said toward the inside: "The leader is also here."

Finally, he saw Song Qiushui driving and Geng Yanfeng, and Chai Chunwei sitting behind.

"The girls of the Chai family, one is more impressive than the next."

"Get out of the car, don't drive in."

Since the leader had spoken, the few people walked on foot toward Chai Mi's home.

Chai Mi had received many people at this time—great aunts, second aunts, old uncles, aunts by marriage, and so on, a whole crowd coming like dumplings in a pot.

They were chatting when they saw several people walk in from outside.

"Huh? Why did Chai Chunwei come... oh ho, a rare guest."

But Chai Mi truly had no feeling for this white-eyed wolf. She had always been indifferent toward her aunts, almost to the point of declaring her resolve...

Chai Mi first instructed Song Qiushui: "Qiushui, that damn old aunt of mine is back. She absolutely cannot be given a single cent in gift money. You take her later and arrange a separate table for her; just stew some tofu."

"Chai Mi, you're going too far... tofu isn't free, don't you still have to buy it? I say just give her some green onion leaves, potatoes, eggplants, cowpeas, and rotten persimmons to make do with." Song Qiushui was not as kind as Chai Mi: "Damn it, if I don't slip her some medicine, that's already not bad."

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui shared everything, so Song Qiushui knew exactly what Chai Mi's several aunts were like.

Chai Mi's eldest aunt Chai Chunfang belonged to the type who compares everything and considers shamelessness an honor; Song Qiushui's evaluation of Chai Chunfang was: beat her...

Chai Mi's second aunt Chai Chunhua, because of conflicts with the old family home, basically never went home; she had been married for over ten years and basically hadn't returned. Chai Mi's impression of her was neither good nor particularly bad. After all, Chai Chunhua looked down on everyone in the Chai family equally... Song Qiushui didn't know Chai Chunhua, so she had no evaluation.

Chai Mi's old aunt Chai Chunwei... heh, she was truly hideously ugly. A typical white-eyed wolf; when she used others it was fine, but when others used her, it definitely wouldn't work. She was the kind of woman shameless to the extreme, making people want to kill her on sight.

What Song Qiushui knew was, for example, that Chai Chunwei always came home empty-handed for the New Year, but when she left she took big and small packages... She didn't give lucky money to her brothers' children, but she held her son and collected lucky money everywhere... When she returned home giving gift money, she talked endlessly: this is a feudal custom... but when she had her own matters, she made a big deal of it, afraid others wouldn't give gift money...

When others asked her for help, she played dumb.

Whoever wanted to go to the market, thinking they were fellow villagers... she avoided them all.

Chai Chunwei's reputation was not only bad within the Chai family, but also in the village.

Chai Chunwei's reputation was even worse than Chai Chunfang's.

Song Qiushui's father had once complained: one year he went to the market to see a doctor for Song Qiushui's mother, the Meng clan, and thought to find Chai Chunwei; after all, Song Qingshan was a country person and didn't know how to get to the hospital, and even for this small matter, she refused!!!

So Song Qiushui basically had no good impression of Chai Chunwei.

"No need to poison her; it's too wasteful. She's not even worth the cost of medicine." Chai Mi pouted: "You decide for yourself later; I'll go make things difficult for her."

"I'll handle it, you rest assured."

"Rest assured, my foot..."

Chai Mi walked from the middle of the courtyard to the door.

At the door, Song Qingshan and Chai Min were setting up a table over there, collecting share money.

Chai Mi first looked at Chai Chunwei with an expression of extreme surprise, then exclaimed: "Oh my, the old aunt is back... rare guest, rare guest. I haven't seen Aunt in eighteen years, Aunt has grown taller..."

The crowd making a racket at the door suddenly fell silent:???

Secretary Wang looked shocked:!!!

The rest of the crowd had strange expressions...

Chai Chunwei's face instantly became extremely awkward; she cursed Chai Mi in her heart for making her look foolish in front of so many people, truly deserving death, but on her lips she could only say: "Chai Mi, look at you, just talking nonsense. Where is it eighteen years... at most seventeen years and eleven and a half months... when you were at your full moon, I still saw you..."

The crowd's gazes became even more complex: Damn! There's even zero and whole!!! But this seventeen years and eleven and a half months sounds even more awkward...

Secretary Wang looked at the leader, seeing the leader's expression was calm: As expected of a leader, Mount Tai could collapse before him without his face changing, the Yellow River could burst at his mouth without his heart being alarmed...

But Secretary Wang was a smart man; seeing this situation, he thought it was extremely likely that this aunt and niece didn't get along at all.

Then the situation he understood... definitely had a problem!

Secretary Wang's work had a problem.

This couldn't be blamed too much on Secretary Wang; the work Secretary Wang did at the time was investigating Chai Mi's relatives, and it happened that Chai Chunwei worked in an office, and he didn't know that Chai Mi and Chai Chunwei's relationship was so awkward... If he had known it was this awkward, he might as well have just come directly...

"Aunt has a good memory." Chai Mi said with an especially fake smile: "Everyone, please come inside, it's all home-cooked meals, don't disdain it..."

Then Liu led the several people to stand motionless before Song Qingshan.

It was time to give gift money...

Beside Song Qingshan was Chai Min, and Chai Min and Chai Mi were extremely at odds.

But Chai Min and Chai Chunwei were even more at odds...

This matter was relatively complex; relatively speaking, if Chai Zhongxiao's three daughters were not present, then Chai Mi would be Chai Min's number one enemy at home... After all, Chai Mi coaxed Song Qiuping into beating the grandmother, causing Song Qiuping to become a shrew famous within ten li and eight xiang, with a bad reputation spreading far and wide, all because Chai Mi "took care" of it... Chai Min hated Chai Mi so much her teeth itched.

But if Chai Min's aunt returned, Chai Min would start to dislike the three aunts. After all, the last time Chai Min was about to kick the bucket and went to the market for hospitalization due to illness, this aunt who worked in the market didn't even go to see her once...

After returning home, Song Qiuping scolded Chai Youfu for half a month...

"Oh my, this is my dear Aunt... Auntie, you've made the rare trip home, so are you planning to give eight hundred, or one thousand... or are you planning to eat for free and not give a single cent?!"

Chai Mi's speaking voice is naturally high in sugar content; even when she says something as unrefined as "not giving a single cent," it still makes people feel exceptionally warm and close.

But Chai Chunwei did not feel even a shred of that exceptional warmth; all she had was a boundless, awkward helplessness.

She really wanted to not give a single cent...

And moreover, she really hadn't brought any money!!!

"I..."

"Oh my oh my... my dear Auntie, are you trying to pull that 'forgot to bring money' routine again? Oh my oh my..."

"I... I really rushed out and forgot to bring money. I will definitely give gift money today, I'll give one thousand." Chai Chunwei started spouting empty talk.

"Oh my oh my... look at that, Auntie, you're playing favorites. I remember when I was sick, running a high fever of thirty-nine point six degrees, hospitalized in the city, you didn't give a single cent, not to mention you never even came to see me once... but coming to Chai Mi's place, you open your mouth and give one thousand?" Chai Mi spoke in a yin-yang strange tone: "Are you looking down on me, or looking down on my dad..."

Chai Chunwei was so angry her whole body ached; she really wanted to walk over and give Chai Mi a few big slaps: this girl doesn't speak human language at all...

Chai Chunwei was caught in a dilemma.

Just now her husband got the Leader promoted and a raise, and now she herself was in a sorry state.

Today's matter would probably be very hard to bluff past.

"Chai Mi, don't make trouble. There are outsiders here... how could Auntie be someone who plays favorites..."

"Oh my oh my~ my dear Auntie, you're feeling guilty. I'm not asking for as much as Chai Mi... after all, Chai Mi is the Older Sister, I'm the Younger Sister, if you give Chai Mi one thousand, I'll be perfectly satisfied with just five hundred." Chai Mi said, stretching out her hand: "Auntie, you might as well give me the five hundred you owe me first~"

Chai Chunwei looked left and right at the crowd staring at her, her face alternating green and red. She silently cursed Chai Mi for being even more of a piece of trash, making her lose face in front of everyone, but she really didn't want to pay, so she bluffed: "Chai Mi, wait until after the meal, at your Grandfather's House, I'll give it to you. Auntie really didn't bring money, the money is with your Old Uncle, he's in the car and didn't get out..."

Afterwards Chai Chunwei lowered her head and whispered in Chai Mi's ear: "There's a County Leader here, Auntie couldn't possibly be short on that little bit of money. Your Old Uncle drives for the Leader, it's a micro-visit, he can't come over. He's a big Leader, if you make a scene that rocks the whole city, the Leader also can't step down, how bad would that be? This concerns our Chai Family's future, don't make it so even your dad can't step down, and if the Leader gets unhappy, his teacher won't be able to work with enthusiasm either... you'd better say a few sentences less."

Chai Mi was young after all, and being threatened and bluffed by Chai Chunwei like this, she actually believed it a little, so she said: "Then... okay. But you have to give it to me later."

"Don't worry... when has Auntie ever failed to deliver." Chai Chunwei immediately relaxed.

Chai Mi listened from the side, her face full of smiles, but she didn't believe a word of Chai Chunwei's ghost talk.

Old Chai Family's several Aunts, not a single good person.

This point is beyond doubt.

Chai Mi first pretended to care about Geng Yanfeng: "Oh my Old Aunt, my Old Uncle came too? Drove here? Then why didn't you let my Old Uncle come eat? He's come all this way, come in for a bite. There's nothing good, but there's nothing bad either, right?"

Then Chai Mi turned her head and glanced, spotting Liu Zhijing in the crowd, then Chai Mi waved and Liu Zhijing saw: "Da Zhi, you come over."

After Liu Zhijing came over, Chai Mi smiled and said to him: "Da Zhi, go down to the roadside and bring my Old Uncle up."

Since Chai Chunwei said the money was with Geng Yanfeng, Chai Mi had Da Zhi invite Geng Yanfeng over to see how Chai Chunwei would round out the lie.

As soon as Chai Chunwei heard Chai Mi say this, she immediately panicked badly: "Oh my, don't call him. Chai Mi, you know your Old Uncle, he doesn't like joining in the fun, if there are too many people... his heart feels unwell..."

Chai Mi looked at Chai Chunwei with a half-smile: "Old Aunt, you'd better watch your words. My Old Uncle drives for the Leader, he inevitably endures long journeys and travel fatigue, even more inevitably the Leader goes on business trips, maybe driving ten-plus hours at a stretch, if my Old Uncle's heart feels unwell..."

This knife of Chai Mi's was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Even Liu Xuejun and the others couldn't help but look toward Chai Chunwei.

After all, a driver with heart disease, who would dare use one?

The driver's job sounds simple, but as Chai Mi said, it's a nerve-wracking job.

And this is a dedicated driver, not a time for sentiment; if he really has heart disease, driving halfway and an attack hits, a whole car of people might be gone...

Even if the Leader has a hard life, he wouldn't dare take that risk.

Chai Mi couldn't help but look at Chai Mi: Why does she effortlessly find a solution, while I was almost bluffed by Chai Chunwei? Why?!

Under everyone's gazes, Chai Chunwei was caught in a dilemma, thoroughly panicked.

If Geng Yanfeng is called over, Chai Mi will definitely clamor for money, Chai Mi will also definitely be determined to make her pay gift money, and she just bluffed and promised to give one thousand...

That's one thousand yuan, not one hundred yuan.

Chai Chunwei, who had just been bluffing, grew angrier the more she thought, and her complexion grew worse and worse.

One thousand yuan for Chai Chunwei, though not much, she just didn't want to pay...

Why should she give a bunch of country bumpkins one thousand yuan in share money, and still give five hundred to Chai Mi who did nothing?!

Why?!!!

But, before Chai Chunwei could have too much mental activity, Da Zhi, like a... little bull calf that broke its reins, whooshed off in a flash.

His movements were so fast they nearly stunned even his own biological father next to him...

Liu Zhanggui watched his fine son running with sparks flying and lightning speed, pursed his lips in displeasure: your dad falls in a big ditch and you're never this sharp...

Chai Chunwei just wanted to shout, but ultimately didn't make a sound; her eyes were somewhat vicious as she stared at Chai Mi, full of hatred for Chai Mi.

Secretary Wang excels at reading expressions... after all, if he weren't good at reading expressions, he couldn't be a secretary.

Seeing everyone was a bit awkward, as the Leader's close personal Secretary, Secretary Wang took the lead, took out a hundred yuan he'd just borrowed from the Leader, waved his hand grandly and handed it to Chai Mi: "Give a hundred yuan... Wang Fugui..."

Then he took out two more hundred-yuan bills to give gift money for the Leader: "This is Liu... just write Director Liu... right right right, write Director is fine, no need for name. This one doesn't need return gift... and this one write Township Head Huang, this is your Township Head... can't refuse, look at their big bellies, giving this little money isn't even enough for meal money..."

Township Head Huang silently looked at Liu Xuejun who had no beer belly, muttering in his heart: when did the Leader offend the Secretary...